Kenny increases pressure on Adams over claims

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has told TDs that if he faced the same accusations over a sex abuse cover-up that Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams does he "would not last five minutes" in his post.

Dáil exchanges over allegations by rape victim Maíria Cahill that she was subjected to a “kangaroo court” after being repeatedly abused by a senior IRA figure in the 1990s saw Mr Kenny say he would refer the matter to the Oireachtas justice committee.

Rounding on Mr Adams’ lengthy blog description of how the IRA “policed” nationalist areas in the North and “shot” suspected sex criminals, Mr Kenny said the “false assumption of a war being waged” did not justify abductions, shootings or kangaroo courts.

Mr Adams hit back by accusing the Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin of “playing politics” as he again denied being involved in a cover-up.

Mr Adams accused the pair of engaging in “egregious accusations against me that I reject utterly”. The row came ahead of Mr Kenny’s meeting with Ms Cahill today after she went public with her allegations.

In a major development, the Northern Ireland Public Prosecutions Service announced three cases linked to the alleged rape of Ms Cahill are to be the subject of an independent review.

A case was brought against the alleged rapist and those said to be involved in the interrogation after Ms Cahill complained to police. But all charges were dropped and the accused rapist acquitted after Ms Cahill withdrew her evidence.

The prosecutions service confirmed that the cases to be reviewed involve the trial of four people accused of organising Provisional IRA meetings and proceedings against the alleged rapist.